Druid leveling/gear advice...

[Estu]

Originally Posted by shdwdrake8 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

charm rules etc. etc.

I'm inclined to agree with this; charm may be better than either root/dotting or quad kiting. I've been charming 14-16 so far in EK, using dark blues against other dark blues (this is fast and takes almost no mana) or using dark blues against yellows with snare/nuke kiting (this takes some mana but not that much and you get to kill yellows pretty quickly and reliably). My only question is, do there continue to be good animal charm spots after Everfrost mammoths? I can't think of anywhere in classic, but maybe Kunark has stuff? DL has cockatrices; maybe that's viable.

[wrxBRAH]

Originally Posted by shdwdrake8 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'm leveling a druid and he is currently 29. I've been monitoring this thread for a while and there is some good info. I hate to share my biggest trade secret so far but since I have learned something from this thread I figure I'd contribute. Once I got "Ring of Commons" I would bind myself near what ever place I was exping in, port to commons, run to tunnel, find a chanter (almost always one there, esp during peak hours) beg for a clarity (promising free ports in the future), gate to exp.... profit!

I also want to comment on charm. I say this with hesitancy as well because I'm afraid it will be "fixed" but charm has worked great since the first level I got it. I'd group in Oasis and charm Caimans. I'd get a full duration charm 80% of the time. Once I was using my "clarity hax" I would charm 1 mob, root rot another, sick them on each other, and break charm with hide (halflings are hax, reroll if you aren't one) and get twice the exp for like 1.2x the mana. I did this in NK with griffawns vs beetles, I did this in EK with gorge hounds vs gore hounds, and I am currently doing this in Everfrost with mamas vs mamas and icy orcs. The exp is nuts. Root rotting is nice but charming is the only way to get the most bang for your buck. Having clarity will ensure that you won't run out of mana if you have to do some emergency double roots or re-charms. I look forward to trying to quad at 34, I'll check back here once I get there... but I'm still only 29 (almost 30!).

Anyone want to comment very specifically how they got their druid through 30? Assuming mamas/icys don't turn LB, I'll probably just stay there. I like gnolls at WK spires but nothing to charm there.

Ill have to give this a shot. I made my druid last year so the new nerfs are definitely feeling a little more painful right now and back then charm was useless. Are you using any Charisma gear?

As for someone earlier that mentioned druid pulling issues, outdoor zones + harmony splits those Aviaks easily. I just personally enjoyed leveling on those last year because there is a vendor up top and zoneline very close to camp.

[Estu]

Originally Posted by wrxBRAH [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Ill have to give this a shot. I made my druid last year so the new nerfs are definitely feeling a little more painful right now and back then charm was useless. Are you using any Charisma gear?

As for someone earlier that mentioned druid pulling issues, outdoor zones + harmony splits those Aviaks easily. I just personally enjoyed leveling on those last year because there is a vendor up top and zoneline very close to camp.

As a druid with a whopping 50 charisma, I have no trouble charming blue mobs and keeping them well long enough to take down a yellow con 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time (if that) I recast when it fades.

[wrxBRAH]

Originally Posted by Estu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

As a druid with a whopping 50 charisma, I have no trouble charming blue mobs and keeping them well long enough to take down a yellow con 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time (if that) I recast when it fades.

right on!

Probably the wrong thread to ask in but is there a way to switch spell specialization?

[Estu]

Originally Posted by wrxBRAH [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

right on!

Probably the wrong thread to ask in but is there a way to switch spell specialization?

I believe there's a quest in the temple of sol ro.

[shdwdrake8]

Druid charm is not effected by charisma, that much is pretty widely accepted. Some say it is based on wisdom, I believe our charm isn't effected by stats at all.

Yes, you can respec your spec in temple of solusek ro.

I'm sure there are plenty of animals to charm in kunark. Cockatrices, Sabertooths, Rhinos, etc. Barring quadding at 34 being not viable, I might end up spending way too much time in OT.

Any tips on what to do at 30 specifically?

[mwatt]

Originally Posted by Estu [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'm inclined to agree with this; charm may be better than either root/dotting or quad kiting. I've been charming 14-16 so far in EK, using dark blues against other dark blues (this is fast and takes almost no mana) or using dark blues against yellows with snare/nuke kiting (this takes some mana but not that much and you get to kill yellows pretty quickly and reliably). My only question is, do there continue to be good animal charm spots after Everfrost mammoths? I can't think of anywhere in classic, but maybe Kunark has stuff? DL has cockatrices; maybe that's viable.

One must bear in mind that this method of fighting requires special circumstances, as of course does quad kiting. While either or both of these might be conceivably championed as being superior to root dotting and other combinations of methodologies, they are not the general method of Druid fighting. After a certain level in the life of a Druid, root and dot is the "signature" fighting method and can be used anywhere at any time, with the only exception being in the case of mobs that summon. As a general rule, a Druid will not be soloing summoning mobs anyway.